Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Coordinating Boundaries And Negotiating Mental Health Diagnoses And Disclosure: An Exploration Of Stigma And Communication Privacy Management, Paige Anne Von Feldt

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

For quite some time, researchers have tried to reduce stigma and misconceptions about individuals diagnosed with a mental illness. Researchers have examined stigma towards individuals diagnosed with a mental illness, and the internalized stigma that can result. Additionally, researchers have analyzed the dialectical push and pull that occurs between privacy and confidentiality for self-disclosures. Past research has explored disclosure of a mental illness in the context of family members, psychiatrists, employers, friends, and in academic settings. However, there is a lack of research examining how risk perceptions are affected by internalized stigma, thus impacting young adults’ intentions to disclose their …

A Multiple Goals Perspective On Burnout Disclosure And Support Among Attending Physicians, Alison N. Buckley

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Burnout is a common experience among physicians and has been identified as a precursor to substance abuse and suicide ideation. When not addressed, burnout can have many negative personal, relational and professional consequences. Research about the burnout experience is limited due to the taboo nature of the topic. The present study used a multiple goals theoretical perspective to examine how physicians disclose burnout in order to access social support. Attending physicians from various specialties (N = 30) participated in one-on-one interviews and were asked to discuss their burnout experience, conversational goals during burnout disclosure, catalysts and barriers for disclosure, and …

I Can't Hear You But I'M Not Sure I'M Going To Tell You: Perceptions Of Stigma And Disclosure For Individuals Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing, Brittany Nicole Lash

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Communication processes can be affected by stigma – a negative evaluation of an individual’s attributes that discredits or identifies the individual as not normal (Goffman, 1963). One such communicative process that is affected by stigma is disclosure. Disclosure is when individuals share personal information that reveals something not previously known (Charmaz, 1991). One such group of individuals who may be forced to choose between disclosing (to get accommodations or social support) and avoiding stigma (by not disclosing) is individuals with disabilities (Braithwaite, 1991; Charmaz, 1991).

This study focuses on one particular population of individuals with disabilities – those with a …